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| Ford Vedette | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Ford SAF |
| Production | 1948–1954 |
| Assembly | Poissy, Yvelines, France (Poissy Plant) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large car |
| Body style | 4-door hatchback 4-door saloon 4-door landaulet 5-door estate 2-door coupé 2-door cabriolet |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Related | Ford Comète Simca Vedette Ford Vendôme Simca Ariane Chrysler Esplanada |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 2.2 L Aquilon s/v V8 3.9 L Mistral s/v V8[1] |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual[1] |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,690 mm (105.9 in)[2] |
| Length | 4,500 mm (177.2 in)[2] till 1952 4,670 mm (183.9 in)[3] from 1952 |
| Width | 1,720 mm (67.7 in)[2] |
| Height | 1,570 mm (61.8 in)[2] |
| Curb weight | 1,180 kg (2,601 lb)[2] |
The Ford Vedette is a large car formerly manufactured by Ford SAF in their Poissy plant from 1948 to 1954.
Originally conceived by Edsel Ford and Ford designer Eugene T. "Bob" Gregorie as a “light” Ford model, smaller than the 1942 Ford. However, Edsel Ford died in 1943, and following the war Ford corporate felt the light car project would pull sales from the full size Ford. Additionally, Henry Ford II felt that Gregorie’s planned 1949 Ford, which shared the same character lines as the Light Ford, was too large for its market, as was Gregorie’s proposed 1949 Mercury. To that end, the planned Ford and Mercury lines were pushed to Mercury and Lincoln, and a contest held to design a Ford that would be at once smaller than the Mercury, but larger than the Light Ford. To recoup the cost of Light Ford, that car was transferred to Ford France.
Introduced at the 1948 Salon de l'automobile in Paris, it was designed entirely in Detroit (resembling contemporary Mercury models) and featured the Poissy-made 2158 cc Aquillon sidevalve V8 engine of Ford's Flathead engine family, the same as in pre-war Matford cars.[1][4] It was the only French car of its time with a V8 engine.[3]
- ^ a b c "Ford Vedette". Ford Oldtimer und Motorsport Club Cologne (in German). Retrieved 2006-08-16.
- ^ a b c d e "Free Car Brochures". Ford Vedette 1951 (Dutch brochure) (in Dutch). Archived from the original on 2006-12-15. Retrieved 2006-08-16. (technical data for 1951 Dutch-market saloon model)
- ^ a b "Automobilia". Toutes les voitures françaises 1953 (Salon Paris oct 1952). 14. Paris: Histoire & collections: 30. 2000.
- ^ "Ford Vedette 1951". Phil Seed's Virtual Car museum. Archived from the original on 2006-07-12. Retrieved 2006-08-16.